Jesus wept

John 11v35 is not only the shortest verse of the New Testament, but also one of the most remarkable. There is no clearer testimony to Jesus’ humanity, as He enters into a scene of death and mourning and responds with grief and tears.

But it also provides a window into His divine attitude to sin and the effects of sin, especially to death. There is no indifference, no simplistic assurance that “all will be right in the end”, but lament at what has become of His world.

November is traditionally a month when we reflect on the persecuted church. Recent news from Nigeria and China highlights our concerns. We are also moved by continuing hostility and conflict in our world, and the fragility of ceasefires and settlements which do not deliver lasting peace. We lament the state of the professing church, and the troubles of our nation. We are grieved over those who are lost. And here Jesus stands with us and weeps. He is not despairing – indeed it would be surprising if His tears were shed for the loss of a friend, because He is about to raise Lazarus from the dead. But He is indignant at the devil’s intrusion into the world, at our sinful folly, the lostness of the world, and the bitter fruit of all of these things.

The world sometimes reacts to tragedy by distracting itself with other things, and we now approach the season of parties and festivities (’tis the season to be jolly). But Jesus pronounces a beatitude on those who mourn. That theme of lament runs all through the Scriptures, whether it be in the Psalms, or lament over the fall of Jerusalem in Lamentations. There is grief and longing over those who are lost – as Jesus held out His hands to hard-hearted and unrepentant Jerusalem in His day. Paul suffered grief and anguish over his fellow Jews. God does not delight in the death of the wicked.

What motivates our lament is not only love for sinners, but jealousy for God’s honour. The Psalmist sheds tears “because people do not keep your law” (Ps.119v136).

We are encouraged that as we weep, the Lord knows our tears. He sees those in Jerusalem in Ezekiel’s day “who sigh and groan over all the abominations” of their day, and He spares them from the coming judgement (Ezek.9v4). The Lord cares for those who are beleaguered by the wicked; He puts their tears in a bottle, and writes them in His book (Ps.56v8).

Most of all we have assurance that those who mourn are blessed, because we will be comforted. We do not grieve as those who have no hope. For now we groan, and all creation groans, but soon we will rejoice as the day of New Creation dawns. Those who sow in tears will reap with songs of joy.

We give thanks for Christ who came, who took up our humanity; a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. But we also rejoice that soon the God Man will come again in glory and wipe every tear from our eyes.